While the maid was dressing me, I unluckily inquired if she had seen the Hindoo--and, hearing that she had, I still more unfortunately asked her to tell me what he was like.

She described him as being very tall and lean, with a dark brown complexion and glittering black eyes.

My mischievous fancy instantly set to work on this horrid combination of darknesses.

Try as I might to resist it, my mind drew a dreadful picture of the Hindoo, as a kind of monster in human form.

I would have given worlds to have been excused from going down into the drawing-room.